{
    "term": "beckon",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "beckon",
            "heSheIt": "beckons"
        },
        "pastSimple": "beckoned",
        "pastParticiple": "beckoned",
        "ingForm": "beckoning"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to give somebody a signal using your finger or hand, especially to tell them to move nearer or to follow you",
            "sensetop": "beckon to somebody (to do something)beckon somebody (+ adv./prep.)beckon somebody to do something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He beckoned to the waiter to bring the bill.",
                    "contextForm": "beckon to somebody (to do something)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He beckoned her over with a wave.",
                    "contextForm": "beckon somebody (+ adv./prep.)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The boss beckoned him into her office."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She beckoned him to come and join them.",
                    "contextForm": "beckon somebody to do something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I saw someone beckoning from a doorway."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The man with the headphones was beckoning urgently."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Richard beckoned the man over."
                },
                {
                    "text": "John beckoned her to come in."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "signal"
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to appear very attractive to somebody",
            "sensetop": "beckon to somebodybeckon somebody",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The clear blue sea beckoned."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The lights seemed to beckon to Sara in a strange way.",
                    "contextForm": "beckon to somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The prospect of a month without work was beckoning her.",
                    "contextForm": "beckon somebody"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to be something that is likely to happen or will possibly happen to somebody in the future",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "For many kids leaving college the prospect of unemployment beckons."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbekən/",
                "audio": "be/beckon/beckon__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbekənz/",
                "audio": "be/beckon/beckons__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbekənd/",
                "audio": "be/beckon/beckoned__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbekənɪŋ/",
                "audio": "be/beckon/beckoning__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbekən/",
                "audio": "be/beckon/beckon__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbekənz/",
                "audio": "be/beckon/beckons__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbekənd/",
                "audio": "be/beckon/beckoned__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈbekənɪŋ/",
                "audio": "be/beckon/beckoning__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Old English bīecnan, bēcnan, of West Germanic origin; related to beacon."
}